A Winter's Rose
by DreamRoseSpirit
Summary: Magic was a way for me to escape my abusive adoptive parents and the fact that I am an outcast to the rest of the world. And yet I can't help but wonder: is magic real? Is there such things as fairies or true love?
1. Prologue: Fate's Guidance

Prologue:

Fate's Guidance

Fate looked on sadly at the two souls he viewed in front of him. One of them has never known her true family, and was terrified of her abusive adoptive parents. The other was shunned his entire life, never knowing what compassion or love was because of his face.

They were two souls that wanted a purpose to live, wanted to know what true love felt like.

The immortal sighed as he sunk deeper into his gilded, wispy cloud-like throne. He massaged his temples, the feeling of helping these two lost souls that were somehow connected magnifying into an inferno. Looking at the souls again, he squinted his eyes and focused on the girl.

Quite odd. She resembled some lost royalty to a planet that was destroyed over a decade ago. She even looked like…

When he saw the girl's eye color, Fate smiled broadly until his grin reached from one ancient ear to the other. _He_ may not be able to help the souls directly, but he knew another who could.

"Daphne." He called, his echoing voice booming from all corners of the sky-room. After a few seconds a golden light appeared, revealing a shining nymph with flaming hair, robes and mask.

'_**Yes my lord?'**_

Fate's cheeky grin grew even wider. "I have a job for you my child…"

* * *

A/N: Hey, I'm back! Sorry the absence, real life just caught up with me. Which I _hate_. I rather be stuck in my own little world, drawing and writing fanfiction to my heart's content.

Oh yeah, and also read other fanfics and MSPaintadventures. So. Much. Fun. ;)

P.S. -On a side note, just for you folks out there to know, I am a _huge_ ErikXChristine fan. But I couldn't help writing a story where it is ErikXOC, and I'm attempting to write the story in Leroux's original format (meaning the book). You'll also find out that I _don't hate_ Raoul, it's just that sometimes he can be **so** boring. And also the fact that in the 2004 movie he has long blonde hair. Does not look good on Patrick Wilson!

Most of the magical references are based on the Winx Club universe, and the sequel I'm planning on doing for this is a crossover between POtO and Winx Club. This is a crossover too, but mostly focuses on the Phantom universe.

P.S.S -The only thing I own is my characters and my version of Fate. Everything else belongs to there rightful owners. POtO: Gaston Leroux, Winx Club: Rainbow S.r.l? I think that's who owns it.

P.S.S.S -I'm sorry I haven't been uploading "Rebirth"! Like I said, life has caught up with me and I haven't found time to work on it. I'm also iffy on a few details, so I may delete it and re-upload once I've worked some more on it.

Okay, enough talking. Enjoy!


	2. Chapter 1: Troubled Life

Ari: (drum roll) Dun, dun, dun! She's back!

Rose: I'm alive! Woohoo! I'm not dead! (futterwackens with glee)

Ari: When are you going to upload my story?

Rose: (grimaces) Don't know darlin'. I may delete it and re-upload after revisions. There are a few things that have been bothering the both of us that I want to fix first.

Ari: Update soon, I'm getting bored just hanging out in your head all the time. Especially when you were thinking up "A Winter's Rose" and..._that_ other story.

Rose: You mean...?

Ari: Yes.

Rose: Oh boy. I'm not even sure if I'll actually upload that or not. Even in my mind it is way too complicated. I don't know if it will get praise or scorn.

Ari: Readers! If your interested in what we're discussing, then let us know! Rosie will give you the info later, and you can help her decide if she'll upload..._that_ story or not.

Rose: Don't call me Rosie!

* * *

Chapter 1:

Troubled Life

"You sure you'll be okay?"

Winter Rose nervously shot a glance towards the house, and nodded. "I'll be fine, Brooke. The worst I'll get when they find out that I was with you two out late will be getting grounded for a month. Hopefully."

Lia leaned forward and rested her arms against the front seat. "Aunt Darla and Uncle Desmond may not be the best parents in the world, but you _are_ their daughter, and they wouldn't do anything to hurt you-"

She stopped and thought about her words when her mom and cousin shot her a glance that said 'Really?' Lia shook her head and sighed.

"Right. I take back what I said. Fine, I'll be honest then. They've resented you ever since you were adopted, and they'll beat you to a bloody pulp when they find out you've been out late with Mum and I."

Winter Rose shakily sighed and rubbed her arms. Why did it suddenly get cold in the car?

"That doesn't make me feel any better." She groaned and finally opened up the car door. "Let's just get this over and done with quickly."

"Want me to call the cops now, or in ten minutes?" Asked Brooke when the girl stepped out of the vehicle. Winter Rose shook her head.

"Don't, Brooke. It'll just peeve them off more if you do. And then, who _knows_ what they'll do to me later…"

Brooke just looked at her with hard eyes. "Sweetheart, what they are doing is not normal. It's child abuse! Winter Rose, you're fourteen years old, don't let them destroy your life like this."

Her niece just breathed in, then out, and gave her and Lia a forced trembling smile. "Hey, don't sweat! I'll be perfectly fine!" She rocked on the balls of her feet, and then got ready to close the door. "I'll call you tomorrow, Lia. We can continue out discussion on which Hollywood actor is cuter then."

The corner of Lia's lips turned up a bit. "Then I guess I'll talk to you later."

The door slammed shut then, and Brooke and Lia watched as Winter Rose lightly skipped up the path towards her house. Brooke sighed tiredly when the girl finally stepped into her house, and closed the door.

"Mum, I have a bad feeling about all of this."

Brooke quickly shot her daughter a glance, and then faced forward to start the car back up again. She shifted the gear out of park, moving the car back onto the street.

"Darling, I know. My magic is giving me that vibe too."

Lia was quiet for a bit, not saying anything. She didn't speak up again until they were a few blocks away. "I feel like that was the last time we'll see Winter Rose for a long time."

Brooke sharply pulled the car over and didn't even bother to park it on the side of the street. The woman flipped her position to stare at her daughter, knowing to always trust their magic. "Lia, what do you mean?"

Lia ran a hand through her hair. "I don't know. It's just… I-I have this _feeling_ that-that-"

"Lia just say it!"

"This is the last time we'll see Winter Rose in years!" She screamed. Lia then burst into tears, which wasn't normal for her. "There is a negative aura around her, and for nights I've been dreaming that she'll be hurt really badly, and then just…disappear!"

As the girl continued to cry, Brooke just stared out the front windshield, eyes cloudy. Her mind right now was focused on her Guardian magic, in deep concentration. After a few minutes, Brooke took in a shaky breath with a few tears falling down her cheeks.

"There's nothing we can do…"

Lia snapped her head up. "What do you mean, 'there's nothing we can do'? She may not be related to us, but she still is family! We _have_ to do something!"

Brooke shook her head, more tears appearing in her eyes. "No, Lia. There is nothing we can do."

"Then why did you bring her to your sister and her husband to raise when she was a baby?" She cried, banging her fists against the seats. "You should've raised her! We are more of a family to her then they will ever be!"

"Oh Lia…" Brooke started to sob. "It just wasn't meant to be. _It just wasn't meant to be…_"

* * *

Winter Rose opened up the front door, wincing when it creaked loudly. _'Way to sneak in, girlfriend.'_ She looked around for her parents, and let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding when she didn't hear or see them. _'Hopefully they're in bed, and haven't realized that I'm past my curfew.'_

Closing the door silently, thankfully with it not creaking this time, Winter Rose turned and silently padded across the carpeted foyer towards the stairs that led to the second floor, and her bedroom. _'Almost home free! Almost home free!'_

She was half way there when a hand roughly and without care grabbed her forearm tightly, making her gasp and spin around to face her very pissed off adoptive father, with her adoptive mother giving her the same glare her father was. Winter Rose gulped, fearful for her very life.

"Uhhh…Um, hi?" She weakly croaked out. Desmond just constricted his hand tighter around her arm, making the girl cry out.

"Where. Were. You." He spat out slowly, venom in his voice. Winter Rose's breath officially left her lungs.

"I-I was…I-I w-was out…"

"At ten-thirty at night?"

Winter Rose grimaced. "I-I'm sorry! I left the library at six and started to head home, but then I ran into Aunt Brooke and Lia! They then took me to a fast-food place to get something to eat, and we lost track of time and talked for hours-!"

Desmond threw her against the stairs, hard. Winter Rose gasped as she felt the pain flood her entire body. There will definitely be bruises in the morning, and from the way her ribs were hurting, she thought that she broke a few.

Darla came up to the girl and slapped her across the face, making sure to use her nails. "What have we told you about spending time with my crazy sister and her mad daughter? They are a bad influence on you, with them telling you their witchcraft stories of magic."

"They're not crazy! Or mad!" Winter Rose screamed, shocking her parents tenfold. "They're amazing and wonderful! The stories they tell me about magic are uplifting and moving! And besides, they are the better influence to me then you two will ever be!"

When she realized what she did, she gasped and covered her mouth with her hand, scared now more than ever about what their reaction will be. Desmond sneered down at her, and slowly advanced, like a lion stalking its prey.

"You think we are the bad influence? Well then I'll _show_ you how bad of an influence we are."

The events that happened next were some of the worst things a child could experience in their lives. Both Desmond and Darla attacked her, beating and kicking until she turned black, blue and purple. They punched her in the face, leaving a black eye and a split lip. They kicked her in the torso, making Winter Rose choke and cough up blood.

Winter Rose could feel some of her bones breaking along with her spirit as the assault continued. Her thoughts and feelings were locked up in a back room inside her mind, leaving an expressionless exterior as she was beaten without mercy.

When it all ended and the adults left to go upstairs, they left the girl curled up into a tight ball at the bottom, silently sobbing and clutching the rose and star pendent Brooke found her with when she was a baby.

'_Why God?'_ She screamed in her mind. _'Why am I being punished like this? What did I ever do to offend you to be treated like this? Is there anyone in this world other than Brooke and Lia that cares for me and loves me for who I am? Was I a mistake? Is that why my birth parents abandoned me? Is that why? __**Is that why?**__'_

'_**Serenity…'**_

The girl stopped sobbing for a bit, as she thought she heard someone call out her real name. "W-Who's t-there?" She whispered shakily.

'_**Serenity…'**_

"H-Hello?"

'_**Run Serenity...your adoptive parents are coming back to kill you…'**_

Winter Rose's breath sped up as she heard that. They were going to kill her? Oh God…no…

'_**Little one…you have to run…'**_

The front door silently opened up, drawing Winter Rose's attention. Her mouth fell open at the sight. "How…?"

'_**Run Serenity!'**_

Footsteps moving upstairs persuaded Winter Rose with her decision. She stood up wobbling, and as soon as she got to her feet, the girl took off with a slow jog out the door. Biting back the sharp throbbing pain that was running up her legs and into her chest, Winter Rose kept on jogging down the street, slowly getting faster when the mysterious voice continued to encourage her.

Run. That was the only thing she was focusing on right now. She needed to run and get away from Desmond and Darla; otherwise they would kill her.

The girl didn't know how long she had run when she finally collapsed, but when she looked around she realized she had entered the small forest that was a mile from her house. _'Have I really run that far with this pain?'_

Winter Rose panted while lying on the ground, not having the strength to get up. She had escaped her adoptive parents, only to end up in the woods, weak and badly injured. In her mind there was no chance for a savior to come along and help her. Lia and Brooke wouldn't know what had happened to her until it was to late. Instead of dying by her parents' hands, she would die from blood loss and starvation out in the woods.

This was it for her. She was going to die all alone…

'_**You are not alone sweetheart.'**_

Winter Rose scarcely moved her head when a bright light enveloped the area around her. When she looked, a barely audible gasp escaped her mouth at the sight in front of her. A young adult about a few years older than her cousin stood before her in glowing golden robes that billowed around her. In fact, her entire body was glowing, including her eyes, and Winter Rose could see that her flaming hair was pulled up into two pigtails that flared our around her head.

Her glowing eyes stared softly at the girl through a golden elegant mask on her face. Winter Rose could only stare in awe at the sight.

"Are you an angel…?" She whispered. The figure shook her head and knelt down next to her, picking the girl up and cradling in her arms.

'_**No child. I am no angel. I am a spirit, a nymph who has been watching over you for years. When you were a baby, I promised to protect you no matter if I was dead or alive.'**_

A fuzzy memory flashed through Winter Rose's mind as she saw the same woman in front of her leaning over her face, as if she was a baby, smiling brightly while there were tears in her eyes. A named popped up too, and Winter Rose couldn't stop herself from whispering it before her eyes closed in exhaustion and slumber.

"Daphne…"

Daphne smiled sadly at the sleeping girl in her arms. She could sense the pain the girl had intensify, even when she slept, so Daphne transported the two of them to the place where Serenity's destiny will continue. To where she will be loved.

'_**Don't worry, little sister. I will always protect you. No matter what…'**_

* * *

Rose: Okay! I know this chapter is long, but chapters may or may not be long or short. Depends on my mood and how much I want to type, especially with my sore wrist.

Ari: Deal with the pain, Rosie.

Rose: Will you stop calling me that! And stop being so impatient! I'll get your story typed up!

Ari: Then hurry up Rosie! I don't have all the time in the world!

Rose: Yes you do! Your just a character I created!

Ari: Well then write!

Rose: Wait!

Ari: Write!

Rose: Wait!

Ari: WRITE!

Rose: WAIT!

(unknown): Will you two stop it? I can hear you from all the way across the dimensions!

(both author and character stop fighting and stare at newcomer)

Rose: Y-You...

Ari: This is not happening...

(A/N: I own only my characters. Everything belongs to their respective owners!)


End file.
